Road material machine



ROAD MATERIAL MACHINE wwwoemgdwmfwy@ Jan.'1, i935. `N. DE WIND EI'Al.V n 1,986,327

ROAD MATERIAL MACHT NE Filed Feb. 6. 1953 2 Shzec-S-Sllee(l 2 Patented Jan. 1, v1935 lm'rleznr ori-ICE ROAD MATERIAL MACHINE Norman De Wind and Arthur Hayler, Newton, Iowa Application February 6,

13 claims.

An object of our invention is to provide a road material machine especially adapted for mixing, drying and spreading road material on a road surface, the machine itself being 5 simple and inexpensive to produce.

A further object is to provide a road material machine comprising a wheeled frame and mixing blades supportedl thereon, the mixing blades being arranged in gangs and transversely spaced relative to the machine, the blades being arranged .at an angle relative to the fore-and-aft axis of the wheeled frame so as to engage the road material and shift it sidewise to thereby cause an eddy in the material which brings the lower strata thereof into the top strata thereof.

In this connection it may here be noted that the machine is particularly adapted for use on a graded road surface on which road material such as gravel and oil have been roughly spread, our Vmachine serving the purpose as it travels over the road material of engaging the material and parting it like a series of plows and moving it side` Wise and upwards, thereby causing it to surge and thoroughly intermixing it, besides exposing a new portion of it to the` atmosphere to thereby hasten drying of the material which is necessary before it can be bladed down to form the final completed. road surface.

A further object is to providefmixing and drying blades preferably formed of flat bar material and arranged at an angle relative to the vertical and theghorizontal andvrelative to the fore-andaft or longitudinal axis of the machine to efEec' tively accomplish the mixing and action desired. I

AV further object is to provide at the rear of the machine, a rake for spreading the material and aiding in levelling the surface thereof after thev mixing and drying blades 40 their work.v

f `Still a'further object is t0 provide a'levelling have accomplished bladeinterchangeable with the -rake for the purpese of levelling the road material to its vfinal surfaceafter the necessary mixing and drying have been accomplished by one or more traverses of the f ``1rla hine with the rake thereon over. thee-material,

" the "blade being 'also usable to accomplish either mixing or cross mixing between mixing v`operation with the rake.

With these and other objects in'view our inention consists in the construction, arrangefmerit andcombination of the various parts of f our device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as` hereinaftermore fullyset forth,

comparatively supporting bars 30 and 31.

193s, serial No. 655,376

(ci. ca -44) pointed out in ourblaims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: l

Figure 1 is a plan view of a road material machine embodying our invention, a platform for the operator being removed therefrom to better illustrate details of construction of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same. FigureA 3 is a rear elevation of the machine.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the rear part of the machine showing a levelling blade substituted for the rake shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a modied form f blade.

adapted to be substituted for the plura1ity of j blades shown in Figures 1, 2 and.4; and

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are diagrammatic w'ews of three different arrangements of mixing and drying blades.

On the accompanying drawings, we have used the reference character A t indicate generally a main frame. The main frame A has a front bolster 10 to which is'pivoted for steering purposes, an axle 12. Front wheels 14 are journalled on the axle 12. A stub tongue 16 is associated with the axle 12 whereby the machine may be pulled behind a tractor or the like. A platform 17 is shownin Figure 2.

Rear axle brackets 18 are vprovided on the main 'frame A. A rear axle 20 is associated therewith Figure 6). Suitable spacers 34 and 35 are provided for positioning the bars and 31 at an angle relative' to the frames 26 and 27.

Each of the bars 30 and 31 supports blades 36 and 37,' 'I'hese are made of flat bar material and are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the The blades 36 and 37, due to the spacers 34, slope rearwardly as well as downwardly. As shown in Figure 1 and diagrammatically in Figures 10 and"11, the blades are arranged at an angle relative to the fore-anda'ft axis of the frame A.

Ato the frames 26 and 27 by bolts 32 and 33 (see indicated in Figures l0 and 1l.

This causes road material C, shown by dotted and by offsetting the blades in one row of blades relative to those-in the following row, the shifted material is in line for being shifted in an opposite direction by the second row of blades, as

In Figure 10, it is shown how the angles of the blades may be reversed in one row-that is, made right and left hand on opposite sides of the center and likewise reversed in the second row but one blade following another being reversed relative to it. Another arrangement, as shown in Figure 11, might be provided and any combination of these arrangements is possible in order to control the flow of material.

In Figure 6, a road surface is indicated at B. The road material, as the blades 36 are dragged through it; will surge or boil" up around the blades for thus turning the material over and aerating it as well as mixing it. After the blades have-past, new portions of the material are exposed to the atmospherefor drying. All this is important because the road material must have a minimum amount of moisture before it is ready to .be bladed down for the travel of vehicles thereon. 4

The secondary frames 26 and 27 areV verticallyadjustable relative to the main frame A by means of adjusting wheels 38 and 39. i The wheels 38 and 39 are operatively .associated with arms 40 and 41 which are connected by links 42 and 43 with the secondary frames 26 and 27.`

45 C either deeply or shallowly, or for scraping the The links 42 and 43 extend loosely through the frames 26 and 27 and have heads 44 and 45 on their lower ends. 4Springs 46 and 47 are interposed between collars48 and 49 on the links 42 and 43. The connection between the wheels 38 and 39 and the arms 40 and 41 is of the yworm and worm gear type, as. shown at the upper left side of Figure 4. It will be obvious that the wheels 38 and 39 can be manipulated for spacing the lower ends of the blades 36 and 37 above the road surface B any desired distance for mixing the road material road surface-B, 'as shown in Figure 6, if desired. The tension of the springs 46and 47 can be added to the weight of the frames 26 and 27 and the blades 36 and 37, if desired, by adjusting the parts to tlm position shown in Figure 6.

At the rear end of the frame A, we provide beams 50 having their forward ends pivoted for instance on the rear axle 20. Guides 52 prevent lateral swaying of the beams. -The beams Aare l vertically adjustable by a hand wheel 54, an arm s or the like, the

56 and a link 58. The link 58 extends loosely through a cross bar 60 secured to the beams 50 and hasa head 62 on its lower end. A spring 64 is interposed between the upper surface of the bar 60 and a collar 66. Pivoted on a bolt 68 carried by a cross bar 51 of the beams 50, is 'a rake D. The rake D comprises bars 70 and 72 below and above the beams 50, a supporting bar 74 and teeth 76.

The bar 74 is detachable relative to the bolt 68 and relative to bolts 69. The teeth'7 are ilat bars secured to the supporting bar 74 by welding bar 74 being an obtuse angle in cross section so that the teeth 76 slope rearwardly.

The rake D, it will be noted, can be Aswung to a position other than. transverse relative to the i main frame A. (A perforated sector 78 is secured to the bar 70 and by means of a pin 80 through a bar 53, it may be locked atanydesired angle.

the teeth 76 are likewise at an angle and thus:

serve to spread the material which has been mixed by the blades 36 and 37. L

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, blades 36a may be twisted instead of being straight as in the previous figures. The blades 36a are welded to supporting bars 30a and a scraper bar 82 is welded to the lower ends of the blades. Blades of this character have a tendency for the scraper bar 82 to lift the materialand the twisted blades 86a to better turn it over for bringing the lower strata of the material C into the top strata for more eilicient mixing and drying action.

As shown in Figure 9, a blade 36h is provided. This is merely a vertical blade of ordinary character except that it has perforations 84 for the other, but itis obvious that this takes considerable horse-power over a perforated blade as shown in Figure 9 and when the material is shifted into av windrow, less surface is exposed for atmospheric drying than when the material is mixed as by our mixing blades and then spread as by our rake D.

The mixing blades arranged at opposite angles, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, give much the same action to the road material C as turbine blades do to steam in a steam turbine. The scattering action of the blades over a wider surface than when a single grader blade is used is much more effective .because of greater exposure area and also there are numerous tum-overs of the material due to one gang of blades following the other, while with a grader there would only be one turn-over'in one traverse of theroad surface.

Another advantage of our machine is that it can work on one half of the road while the other half is left open for traffic. The road material C can be spread on one half the road and can be thoroughly mixed and dried by several traverses of the machine thereover while the other half is being .used for trailic. l

. After the mixing and drying have been conipleted, a mixing and levelling operation can be performed with the machine by substituting for the rake D, a levelling blade E shown in Figure 5. This is merely a vertical blade which can be bolted with the bolts 68 and 69 in place of the rake D being bolted thereon. This blade levels the material C downto the desired depth relative to the road surface B and by being arranged at an angle, it advances any surplus of the material C into a windrow either at the center or the side of the road, as desired, where it can be levelled down or otherwise disposed of.

In @he 'process of building an oiled and gravelled road surface, the road surface B is usually primed with oil whereafter the material C is spread thereon and then oiled by a distributor or from which the oil flows onto the gravel. Our machine can follow the distributor for mixing the oil into the gravel immediately after it is def posited thereon.

Some road builders have attempted to disk or harrow the material after the oil is applied thereit may here be mentioned/ Avtank vehicle having a transverse perforated pipe i l to but this has a tendency to merely furrow the material rather than actually mix it as when our machine is used. i

A series of blades interspersed by open spaces. or a blade, as shown in Figure 9, having perforations in it does not require as much horse-power for operation as a grader blade and consequently there is a considerable economy, both from the standpoint of taking less horse-power to operate lthe machine as welll as thoroughly stirring the road material and keeping it spreadout so that atmospheric drying is facilitated andgfewer traverses of the material in order to mix and dry it areI required.

,Various arrangements of the blades 36, and 3'7 ,are possible.' We have already referred to the arrangements in Figures 10 and 11. In Figure 10, the material is shifted toward the center of the machineA and then toward the outside edges again. In Figure 11,-it is shifted toward the right and then toward the left. In Figure 12, we have shown an arrangement in which both the front and back blades slant in the same directions so as to all shift the material toward the right. Bladeswith settings of this character are desirable when the contractor wants to work the material from the outside edge to the center, or from the center to the outside edgeof the road instead of keeping it all at the center or at one edge, in which case vblades arranged as in Figures 10 or 11 would be used. Both the front and rear blades can also be arranged to shift the material toward the center of the machine or awayfrom the center instead of first toward, and then away from it as shown in Figure 10.

The arrangements just enumerated and many others can be used, depending on the particular method desired for shifting the road material during the. mixing and drying process.

In all arrangements Wehave found that the back sloping and the angles of the blades to cause them to shift the material are important features regardless of the arrangement of the slant of the blades relative to each other as illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12.

Some changes maybe made in the construe` tion and arrangement of the parts of our device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

-We claim as our invention:

1. In a road material machine of the class described, a wheeled frame, rows of depending blades, eachrow comprising a `plurality of transversely spaced blades relatively narrow. from side to side and means for mounting. said blades on said frame for `selective positioning vertically relative thereto, said blades, in transverse cross' section, being arranged at an angle relative to a transverse horizontal line through said frame, the angle of said blades of one row of blades being reversed relative to the angle of the blades of the following row of blades.

2. In a road material machine of the class described, a wheeled frame, a plurality of depending, transversely spaced blades, said blades being relatively narrowfrom side to side, means for mounting said blades on said frame for selective i positioning vertically relative thereto, said blades,

in transverse crosssection, being arranged at an angle relative to a transverse line through said frame and a rake behind said blades comprising a transversesupporting bar and .at teeth having their planes at substantially right angles to the axis of said supporting bar, said rake being pivoted for adjustment to an angle relative to versely and narrow depending blades thereon ar-` ranged to slope downwardly and backwardly from said frame and means behind said blades and carried by said frame to spread road material mixed by said blades, said means comprising a rake having teeth.

5. In a road material machine of theclass described, a wheel frame, substantially at transversely and narrow depending blades thereon arranged to slope downwardly and backwardly from said frame and means behind said blades and carried by said frame to spread road material mixed by said blades, said means comprising a vertically arranged blade.

6. A road material machine comprising a supporting frame, relatively narrow fiat blades carried thereby andextending downwardly therefrom, said blades having their faces set at an angle relative to a transverse horizontal line through said frame, said blades extending rearwardly as well as downwardly whereby they slope and when travelling through a layer oil*Y road material, the top portion thereof divides to form a groove in the material and the bottom portion thereof surges up through said groove to mix with and partially overlie said topv portion and means behind said blades and carried by said frame to spread road material mixed by said blades.

7. In a road material machine, a wheeled frame and a series of mixing blades carried thereby, each blade comprising an elongated fiat bar of material extending' lengthwise downwardly and rearwardly from said frame, the lower ends of said blades being cut at an angle relative to the length of said blades whereby to be parallel wardly from said frame, the lower ends of said blades being cut at an angle relative to the length of said blades whereby to be parallel with a road surface supporting said frame and blades and the blades in cross section being arranged at an angle relative to a transverse line extending through said frame and means behind said blades for spreading road material mixed by said blades.

9. In a road material machine, a wheeled main frame, a secondary frame having a series of transversely spaced, relatively narrow mixing blades extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, means for adjusting said secondary frame relative to said main frame for adjusting the vertical position of said blades aboveand relative to a road surface supporting said main frame, said adjusting means including a spring forimposing tension on said blades against said road surface in addi- 4-y .A y tion to the weight of the blades and the secondary 10Q A road material machine comprising a supporting frame and relatively 'narrow flat blades carried therebyand extending downwardly therefrom, said blades having their faces set at an groove in the material and the bottom portion thereof surges up through said groove to mix with and partially overlie said top portion and introduce air for aerating said road material.

11. In a machine of the character described, a substantially .horizontal wheeled frame, a plurality of mixing blades carried thereby and each comprising a vane relatively narrow from side to side and extending therefrom in a rearward and downward direction, the lower end of said vane being cut at an angle tothe transverse of Lesasa'a'A the vane, said. tane being slanted from sideto side relative to the transverse of said frame so` that said lower end is substantially parallel to said frame.

12; A machine ofthe kind disclosed including .5

arserles of blades, each substantially flat, downwardly and backwardly sloping and relatively narrow from side to side, th bottom edge of said blade being substantially horizontal and said blade having its face, intended to be presented to the material to be worked on. lying in a plane angular to a transverse horizontal line through said machine. l v

13. A machine of the kind disclosed includinga series of blades, each substantially ilat, down- 15 wardly and backwardly sloping and relatively narrow from side to side, said blade having its face, intended to be presented to the material to be worked on, lying in a plane angular to a) transverse horizontal line through said machine, 20

NORMAN DE WIND.

. ARTHUR F. HAYIER.

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